Black Moon
by Maus17
Summary: 'Slenderman is as deadly as nightshade, and as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.' The words stuck out to him, and he blinked, clicking on the image and making it so that it took up his entire screen- a black moon. He sighed and rubbed at his sore eyes, and then jumped at the creak behind him.
1. Chapter 1: Knowledge

**Summary: ****_"We make our own world with our thoughts. Athena was born from Zeus' mind, wasn't she?"_**

The mind is a powerful weapon indeed, and everyone will have to learn that the hard way in this story as they try desperately to hide from the shadow of the nightmarish black moon.

**_But first..what's life without a little competition? _**

"Alfred F. Jones, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life," Britain growled, shaking his head in a condescending manner, much like a parent scolding a child, his thick brows furrowed as he crossed his arms and pursed his lips. The use of America's human name defined the fact that he was simply _done _with all of his foolishness, and it caught the attention of several others as he leaned forwards and huffed. "How are we possibly going to get enough funding and resources to replace aerial transportation with railroads and monorails? It simply can't be done, you twit! And how would that help the environmental crisis in any way? If anything, it would hinder us!"

Before he could continue, an index finger was shoved in his face, and America smirked smugly at him, wagging the appendage back and forth slowly, a glimmer in his blue eyes. He stood up and crossed his arms, momentarily towering over the Brit in triumph.

"See? That's where you're wrong!" he declared, grinning, narrowing his blue orbs and spreading his arms to catch everyone's focus. "The making of railroads would give a bunch of poor dudes the opportunity to haul ass and get a job, and it would give the government money! Plus, we wouldn't have to worry about using up as much stuff as we do with airports! Train stations are smaller!"

The American paused for a moment to wallow in his self pride, and raised an eyebrow, silently asking for any objections. A hand raised, and he blinked, leaning forwards hungrily. "Yeah?"

Germany was the challenger, and he stared at America, eyes narrowed, jaw tense as he spoke, his serious expression now looking more like an exasperated one.

"Your idea does have positive impacts, Amerika," he began, lowering his hand. "But I don't think it's worth it. You can't hire inexperienced workers to do the job simply because they are in need of it. Not to mention the amount of trains und rails you would need to manufacture first. Government spending would outweigh the profit."

A small voice from the back rose to agree with him, the owner shyly raising an index finger to add to the point. Canada cleared his throat softly and looked up with timid violet eyes, briefly brushing a stray blond hair from his face.

"Also, in order to make way for the new rails, we'd have to cut through forests to make room, eh? I think that's kind of the opposite-"

America's voice overpowered the tiny sound, and the countries listened as if no one else had spoken in the first place. He chuckled and gave a shrug.

"How hard is it to bang some steel poles into the ground?" he drawled. "It doesn't take that much experience, dude."

Germany's lips parted to contradict, but he was cut off by a light buzzing sound, and the lights above them flickered erratically for a few moments before going out and plunging them all into darkness. Several groans and complains were heard, voices intermingling in the pitch black.

"Ve, Germany," Italy Veneziano whispered, clinging to the taller nation's arm and pressing his cheek against the rough green fabric of his sleeve. "It's dark..."

His honey brown eyes glimmered as he looked up at him, lips puckered in a fretful pout. The German sighed and gently patted his head.

"Darkness is nothing to fear," he mumbled quietly, thanking the heavens for the absence of light to mask his pink cheeks.

"Mon dieu," muttered France, squinting, his expression barely visible due to the dreary light that leaked in through the window. "Someone go turn them back on, s'il Vous plait? I think it is the storm.."

"The awesome Prussia will go! Because I'm so awesome that the lights are going to turn on for me!" a loud voice declared, its owner standing up proudly and shaking his head of snowy colored hair, maroon eyes gleaming. His younger brother instantly disagreed.

"Nein, last time you tried to re-start our power grid, it exploded," he said bluntly. "I'll go."

He gave the pouting Prussian a stern stare as he stood, and the albino huffed childishly about how certain brothers were 'mean and jealous of awesome'. Italy whimpered softly as Germany pushed back his chair and ran his hands through his own hair, making sure every blond strand was in place and swept away from his forehead.

"I'll go turn the lights back on," he announced, suddenly blinking in surprise as the Italian clung to his hand and tried to tug him back down.

"Luddy," he said softly, using his human name in a sense of secret desperation. "Piacere...stay here, I don't wanna be alone.."

Germany sighed and stared up at the ceiling briefly before he wrapped his larger hand around Italy's and tugged him along gently.

"You can come with me," he muttered quietly, blushing softly as Italy squealed quietly in relief and clung to him, trusting Germany to guide him in the dark. As they walked on by, Romano got a sour look on his face, and he scoffed lightly under his breath, crossing his arms across his chest tightly as his eyes narrowed. The sight of his brother with that kraut made him want to mutter a few choice words, but before he could even think of obscenities, lightning illuminated the rain-pelted windows, briefly lighting up the room with a fierce glare before thrusting it back into dark. It made Romano jump, his eyes widening as thunder rumbled in reply. The Spaniard beside him let out a small chuckle and draped an arm around his shoulder.

"Aw, Roma don't be afraid," he cooed gently. "A little storm never hurt anyone."

His green orbs glittered with affectionate amusement as Romano tensed and growled at him.

"I'm not afraid!" he squeaked, voice coming out a lot smaller than he thought it would. "I just... Hold me, dammit."

He blushed fiercely and melted at the Spaniard's embrace, leaning into his chest and thanking the heavens it was dark enough to mask his reddened face. From across the table, England sighed and drummed his fingers in annoyance.

"Looks like we'll have to reschedule," he mumbled softly, glancing out the darkened window. America clicked his tongue in disappointment, then suddenly broke into a grin.

"Why's that, Iggy? Someone afraid of a little water?" he cackled. "I bet you melt just like that witch in The Wizard of Oz!"

Having had just about enough of his tomfoolery, England stood up and leaned forwards until their noses almost touched, brows furrowed, a scowl etched onto his face. America chuckled nervously and edged away a bit as he let out a growl.

"I might not melt like that pathetic excuse of a witch, but I can certainly cast spells and curses that would leave you screaming to return to your mother's womb. And it's England, not Iggy, you twit!" he barked, getting pulled back by his collar thanks to a certain Frenchman.

"Amerique, ne t'inquiètes pas. Do not worry, mon ami. He gets like this whenever there is foul weather. I think it has something to do with the occult," he murmured, saying the last part under his breath and rolling his eyes once his hand was roughly slapped away. America scoffed lightly and craned his neck to peer over everyone else's heads.

"I don't see Norway acting- oh, wait, I might be wrong..."

A certain Norwegian was moving Denmark's entire head back and forth, pinching the tip of his ear with his thumb and index finger, blank faced, his brows only furrowed just slightly despite the fact that his eyes shone with the fury of a thousand suns. The Dane yelped and squirmed pitifully in his seat, trying to bat him away as Sweden sighed and looked away while Iceland pointedly turned his back on them.

"Honestly, I don't know why I bother," grumbled the Icelander, cupping his own chin in his palm and sighing. Beside him, Guatemala gave a shrug, running his slim, tanned fingers through a sleeping St. Petersburg's blond hair. He sent a glance out the window before looking back at his taciturn friend.

"Story of my life, amigo," he muttered, resting his head on the table and leaning on St. Petersburg's shoulder, bored out of his mind and impatiently waiting for the lights to come back on so they could just get the hell out of here already... He couldn't help but peek at the bickering America and England through a curtain of black bang as the aggressive banter continued.

"You're just all mopey because your girlfriend isn't here to kiss it all better and give you a cup of tea," he teased, crossing his arms and leaning back, smirking at the Brit as he growled quietly.

"At least I have a girlfriend, America, and if you're implying the fact that I'm a bit put off because of the storm, then you're sorely mistaken. A bit of thunder isn't going to scare me," he said darkly, smiling, the dim light making odd shadows on his face. "I'm not a scaredy cat, unlike some nations. Britain is known for the most paranormal activity in all of the world, mind you."

The American gave a hidden shudder and chuckled. "Oh yeah? Well-"

"Please," Iceland scoffed as he overheard them, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the rain. "You don't even know the beginning of scary until you've seen Liza's magic room. It's even freakier than Norway's, and that's really saying something."

The Dane a few seats away smirked slyly and leaned in, grinning widely and raising an eyebrow. "Just what kind of magic are we talking 'bout here?" he chuckled, smirking in triumph at Norway's flushing face as he dodged a swipe to the head. Finland chimed in as he leaned on Sweden's shoulder, violet eyes glimmering.

"Oh, jeez- he's right," he muttered. "That really is scary..Scarier than the legend of the Piru!" He let out a little shiver and nestled into Sweden's shoulder as another flash of thunder lit up the room.

"But what about the Slenderman?" America bellowed, rocketing out of his seat and raising his arms, waiting for a couple of seconds and looking quite ridiculous as he waited for a rumble of thunder to accompany his theatrics. St. Petersburg gave a snort and looked up, bangs flopping into his face.

"Wha..?" he asked, eyes bleary. Guatemala chuckled and pulled him into his side, resting his chin on his head. normally, he wouldn't have given two flying craps about what the American or anyone else had to say about...anything, really. Horror stories didn't scare him, and he found them quite boring. But..Something about the American's stiff posture, and the way his stiff lips were curled upwards, the way the Brit across from him looked up and narrowed his eyes...

Spoke to him.

"The what?"

"He's just the sweetest thing..Oh, meine liebe," Maus cooed quietly, flushing and shaking her head as a soft smile lit up her face. Darkness did nothing to stop their circle of gossip. The small girl leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, smirking as Sydney rolled her eyes in amusement. "Ça va, Sydney? Or are you telling me you've never gushed about your lovely Englishman?"

The blue eyed girl huffed lightly at her and gave her a nudge, brushing her bangs out of her face and leaning on the table, reaching for another chip...only to realize that the family sized bag was already empty. Both girls gawked across the table at their friend 'Sides', who had her cheeks stuffed with Lays.

"...M'wha'?" she said, chewing and giving a shrug as she pushed her glasses back up her face. "You guys eat too slow."

"Vá! You eat too_fast!_" Liza exclaimed, snatching up the empty bag and turning it upside down to make sure nothing was inside. Not even crumbs came out, and she pouted at Sides, short hair flopping back and forth as she shook her head. "I wanted some..I bet France spends a boat load of cash on chocolate..."  
_  
_The girl nicknamed Sides swooned, a dreamy look entering her eyes. "Oh, yes, he does! He's such a sweetheart, and- oh! That reminds me of a poem I wrote about-"  
_  
_"No," Maus declared, snatching the bag from Liza and chucking it at her face. The small girl got up from her seat and huffed. "I'm going to- HEY!" She burst into wild laughter once Sydney wiggled her fingers into her sides, making her flop backwards into her seat and flail. "Stop!"  
_  
_All four of them snickered like school girls until the crash and rumble of lightning overhead made them pause, eyes glistening in the flash of lightning that came after. Sydney sighed and sat back down, briefly tapping her fingers on the table before standing up again.  
_  
_"The lights haven't come back on, and I dunno about you guys, but this is getting kind of boring," she mumbled, crossing her arms and blowing her bangs out of her face. Liza skittishly looked around, fidgeting in her seat. Her stomach was in knots now- she despised thunder when it was this loud. The last couple of rumbles had been fine- but this one had made her rethink her jovial mood.

"Y-yeah..." she mumbled, curling up on the seat and resting her chin on her knees. Maus sighed softly and cupped her chin in her palm.

"...We could go look," she suggested with a shrug, standing and shifting her weight from leg to leg. She was getting pretty antsy herself. Every since the whole 'playing with the nations' weapons incident' and chopping the meeting table in half with Denmark's battle axe, they hadn't been allowed to participate in world meetings. That, and they weren't countries, and Sweden mentioned something about leaking classic information by accident, though that might have been on account of Sides...

Liza shook her head slowly from side to side, pursing her lips. "I..think I'll stay here," she muttered. Sides gave her arm a poke, smirking.

"Not afraid of a little thunder, are you?" she teased gently. Liza deadpanned.

"Yes, I am," she said blankly, to which Sides giggled and gave her a nudge.

"I was just kidding- hey, why don't you and Syd go ahead, and I'll stay here with Liza," she suggested, leaning back in her seat and raising an eyebrow as Sydney and Maus looked at one another and shrugged.

"Eh, why not," Sydney mumbled, waving Maus along and peeking into the hall. it was pitch dark, save for the flashes of lightning that occurred every now and then. The older girl sighed and looked back to make sure her small friend was following, and walked down the hall, turning up the brightness on her phone so they could see. "Maus, stay in front of me, will you? I'm not scared, but you being as short as you are, I keep thinking you're some kind of evil dwarf or something."

A few seconds of silence stretched out between them, and Maus gave her a sarcastic smirk, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes for emphasis.

"Gee, thanks, Syd- every girl dreams of being told that- I fantasize about the day mein liebe will tell me I look like an evil dwarf," she drawled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as Sydney snickered behind her palm. They didn't get very far before a crackling sound was heard, making their eyes widen and their heads snap up in attention. Up ahead, the lights flickered and switched on, humming as they re-started. Sydney smirked.

"Well..It looks like we don't have to go anywhere," she announced, turning her phone off. Maus squinted and put a finger to her lips, tilting her head to the side upon hearing some noises coming from down the hall.

"Ve, grazie mille, Germany! You're so brave," cooed an Italian accented voice from afar. A slightly flustered german tone accompanied it after a few moments' pause.

"I simply moved the switch from the left to the right. I did nothing," he stated factually, rounding the corner, and stopping short as he saw the two girls, staring at them. "Hallo- something the matter?"

"The meeting was dragging, and the lights were all blegh," Maus explained oh so gracefully, crossing her arms. "We thought no one had gone to fix them. Danke, Germany- hey, do you guys know if the meeting is gonna end soon, or if we can walk around or something? We're kinda getting stir crazy."

"I think the meeting will come to an end because of the weather," he replied, trying and failing to hide his blush as italy nuzzled into his shoulder and continued to cling to him. "You should probably tell the others that it will be time to leave soon."

Sydney smiled and nodded. "Got it- let's go Maus," she said pointedly, watching the other girl turn away and stifle a snicker at Germany's mortified expression when Italy pressed a soft kiss to his cheek in a moment of silence when he thought no one was looking.

"The Slenderman! Don't tell me you guys don't know about that! It's one of the scariest legends of the U.S.!" America exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips. France looked up at him and smiled apologetically, a smirk curling his lips upwards.

"Perhaps that is why we have not heard of it, mon ami," he said, earning himself a sneer from the British gentleman seated beside him. He rolled his green eyes and turned away.

"Oh please. This ninny thinks_ghosts _are something to be afraid of," he mumbled, pausing in mid sentence to look up at the flickering lights, and squinting once the room became lit again. "Oh. Well, I guess that's about it, then."

He stood and began to put on his coat, nodding at Italy and Germany once they walked in. "Meeting adjourned."

Slightly disappointed, Guatemala blinked up at America and furrowed his brows pleadingly, his curiosity left hanging in the air, questions unanswered. Blue eyes met his, and America smirked, snatching up the empty smoothie cup he'd been toying with. "Look it up, bro! Later dudes- the hero exits!"

With that, Guatemala was left brooding and silent. He pursed his lips and let out a sigh, shaking his head and choosing to nudge St. Petersburg instead. "Oye, tu. Wake up, anadale," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head as his brown eyes were met with sleepy aqua ones. "The meeting ended."

St. Petersburg gave him a sleepy glare and rubbed at his eyes, watching blearily as everyone began gathering their belongings. "Da..Are you coming over?" he asked, looking at him as he put on his black and blue jacket. As he zipped the zipper, Guate felt a stab of guilt, shaking his head and frowning softly at the reproachful stare he got in return.

"I can't- the roads are bad, cariño. South Korea was going to come late- but he couldn't make it 'cause of the storm, and neither could Strik. I think it would be best if-"

Ivory lips cut off the rest of his sentence, and he melted, posture sagging as he leaned against the smaller Russian, humming softly and wrapping warm arms around his waist. St. Petersburg smirked softly and pulled away, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

"Da, I understand..asshole," he said, smirking and grabbing his coat, winking at him briefly before he headed out the door, leaving Guatemala blushing and indignant.

"...Russian jerk," he mumbled, looking up and cringing when he saw Maus giving Prussia a farewell smooch on the cheek. Ugh, he would never get used to that. "Maus, hurry up, will you?"

Meanwhile, the Nordics were already heading out, and Iceland was waiting at the door as they all piled into their car, tapping his foot impatiently as Liza took her time in giving goodbyes. The girl waved at Sides and France one last time before taking Iceland's hand and sprinting to the vehicle.

"Hurry up or we'll get wet!"

"Idiotic Dane.."

"Goodbye, mon chat!"

"Auf Wiedersehen, liebe!"

"Adios, Romano!"

"Arrivederci, Germany!"

Their voices melted and swirled along with the rain, and Guatemala stood in the door and sighed, watching them all depart and drive away, their cars going to the left and to the right, making little rivulets in the puddles. A cold, damp breeze blew, and he shivered lightly, jogging to his car as an impatient Maus rolled her eyes at him.

"You weirdo. You'll catch cold, standing in the rain like that."

"Shut up."  
~~~***~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Okay! This is a prologue, and I know it's rather uneventful, but...it gives intro to pairings and characetrs.  
Pairings so far [more will be added] : SuFin, DenNor, LIce (Liza and Iceland), Maussia (Prussia and Maus), FrIdes (France and Sides), SpaMano, St. Guate (St. Petersburg and Guatemala), SyUk (Sydney and the U.K.), GerIta.

**THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW **  
Maus: wanna-be polyglot studying languages. Knows German, Spanish, English, Italian, Romanian, and French. Lives with Guatemala and South Korea, is quite small in stature (only 4'10") Maus is a nickname- 'real name' yet to be revealed.  
Liza: Speaks Icelandic, proud Danish roots, lives with the Nordics and Prussia, who comes by and practically lives there cause why not only because she and Maus hang around eachother so often.  
Sides: Sides is a nickname, 'real name' yet to be revealed. (based off her dA name: DeOtherSider) Cocky, spunky and outgoing young girl with a very keen sense of romance, enjoys junk food, particularly chips. Wears glasses, often refers to herself in third person. Speaks Spanish as well as English.

Sydney: Hockey nut, often frustrated by stupid grammar laws, knows French, lives with France and the UK. Uses hockey stick as a weapon.  
St. Petersburg: Human name is Axle, lives with Russia and often takes his place in meetings when he is busy.  
Guatemala: Human name is Luis, lives with Maus and South Korea, introverted blunt tsundere, sickly and intrigued/terrified by myths and legends.

TRANSLATIONS  
FRENCH  
Mon Dieu: My God  
S'il vous plait: Please (Literally 'if you please')  
Mon ami: my friend  
Ne t'inquietes pas: don't worry  
Mon chat: my cat  
Ça va?: (in this context) Are you okay/You good?

GERMAN  
Nein: no  
Ja: yes  
Meine liebe: my love  
Danke: Thank you  
Hallo: hello  
Auf wiedersehen: see you later/goodbye

ITALIAN  
Grazie/Grazie mille: thank you, thanks a million  
Arrivederci: Goodbye

Piacere: please

SPANISH  
Amigo: friend  
Oye, tu: hey, you  
cariño: (in this context) my love  
Adios: goodbye

ICELANDIC  
Vá: wow!

RUSSIAN  
Da: yes

_**ENJOY!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Fevered

"Hana? Can you hear me? You're breaking up, da-ze.."

"Korea? I-...-you-..-tion-.."

South Korea sighed and nonchalantly flung his phone to the other side of the couch, cupping his chin in his hand and letting his honey tinted eyes roam about the empty abode. The only sound that reached his ears was the pelting of rain on the windows, and rumble of thunder in the distance. It didn't look like it was going to stop soon. He pouted softly and leaned back on the cushions, sighing as he closed his eyes. He'd tried to go to the meeting, but the roads were just so bad.. Hanalei hadn't gone either, and now their phone call had gotten cut short because of the bad reception.

"Da-ze," he mumbled to himself, lazily extending an index finger to draw random little circles onto the fabric of his jeans. Now he had to wait for Guate and Maus to show up. It wasn't like he particularly liked meetings, it was just that they were his chance to see his little sunshine. But apparently, lots of people- Cyan, Strik, Hana and even Brussels- hadn't been able to show up because of the bad weather. That just sucked. He sighed again, wondering if taking a nap would be a good idea since he didn't really have anything else to do. The stack of paper work on his desk was small and he didn't feel like tackling it at the moment.

"I can't believe you! I can't believe you!" a shrill, panicked voice made him pause in his line of thought.

"Shut the hell up! Like you've never misplaced the damn keys before in your life! I swear, I had them in my pocket!" a deeper tone, laced with annoyance and frustration replied, and shuffling sounds were heard.

"Oh my gosh, I bet SK isn't even home yet.."

Korea let a soft smile slide onto his face, eyes opening and sparkling with amusement at the bickering he heard just outside the door. He lazily yawned and sat up, stretching and walking nonchalantly, taking his time and stifling a laugh when he saw the door vibrate with bangs, the knob jiggling back and forth.

"Well, damn. We're both screwed."

It was then that Korea decided to throw open the door, spreading his arms wide and grinning.

"Here I come to save the da- wow, you two look like crap," he snickered, leaning against the door and crossing his arms. It was a surprise that Guate could see, the way his soaking bangs were plastered to his face, jacket soggy, shoes squelching. Maus' bun had come undone, and she looked like a small, drowned woodland creature. Both blinked dazedly for a few seconds, and then Guate let out a string of Spanish curse words as he shoved the Asian aside and trudged into the house. Maus squealed and tackled him in a hug, not caring about the fact that she was dripping wet.

"SK!" she squeaked. "When did you get here? I was worried! I thought you were still on the roads- where's the second car?"

She looked up at him expectantly as he gently pushed her inside and shut the door, taking her dripping coat. SK hung it up quickly and ushered her to the kitchen as she flung off her shoes and toddled after him, looking more like a five year old than a twenty year old. "Well?"

"I put it in the garage," he explained, turning to the stove, only to find a certain Hispanic already boiling water for tea. He sighed and continued, leaning on the kitchen counter. "I figured it would be best- you never know, da-ze. We can't have the drive way all cramped if there's an emergency, and with weather like this..."

He trailed off with a shrug, and Maus nodded, gesturing down the hall. "Good idea..I'm gonna go shower," she mumbled, hurrying off to get a towel. Guatemala huffed and rolled his eyes as she left the little kitchen.

"I was going to go shower first," he grumbled, hunching his shoulders against the chills racing down his spine. "I'm cold as hell.."

South Korea snickered softly and patted his back, grinning. "Hell isn't really cold, my friend."

"Oh, shut up."

~~~***~~~

"The Slender what?" Korea asked, peeking above his mug of tea and raising an eyebrow, tilting his head in curiosity as Guate tapped away at his laptop from the living room coffee table, rubbing his damp face with a sniff.

"Yeah, apparently it's a huge thing- myth, legend, folklore, something like that," he mumbled, pulling up Google. "America was going on about how it was scary." The Asian leaned on the counter and put his mug down, squinting.

"And why were you guys talking about that? I thought-" his inquiry was interrupted by Guate, who shrugged.

"Lights went out, weather was making people act like assholes, and America and England started going at it about whether stuff was creepy or not. I didn't get to really ask what Slender Man was 'cause Germany turned the lights back on and England said we should leave," he said, summing up the entire meeting with one breath and typing into the search engine. Korea gave a little shrug and pouted, plopping his cheek into his hand.

"I wish I could have been there..That sounds like fun. I could have made fireworks go off or something, da-ze," he said sulkily. Guatemala scoffed and sniffed again, brushing his damp bangs out of his face.

"Yeah, no. Norway and the others would have killed you," he said, trailing off and glancing down at the various links and images that popped up. "Damn, I guess America wasn't kidding. Slender Man is pretty popular.."

He lifted his computer and raised it so Korea could lean in and view the summaries of supposed missing children and sightings of a tall, thin man without a face. South Korea pursed his lips and hummed in thought as the computer was put down, leaning on the counter.

"Sounds weird," he mumbled, shrugging and lifting his mug to take a sip. Guatemala hummed in acknowledgement, clicking several links at once and briefly skimming through the pages, squinting at the added pictures of black and white forests, brown eyes reflective.

_'__Who is Slender Man? A very bad dude!'  
'Slender Man and Blair Witch...why we love creepy stories'  
'Slender Man sightings'  
'Slender: The eight pages.'___

He shivered lightly and moved the cursor to 'Images', plagued with sights of running children and dark fan art. But all the pictures had one thing in common.

All of them featured an enormous and faceless thin figure clad in a black suit, arms long and dangling. In some pictures, tentacles were even sprouting from his back-

"Guate!"

The Hispanic gave a jerk, gripping his laptop tightly as he sat up, blinking rapidly, his bangs flopping into his face. "Que?!" he asked, flustered. Korea and Maus were staring at him in amusement, scoffing lightly. Maus flung his black towel at him, hitting him straight in the face.

"I said you can go shower now," she laughed lightly, motioning to the hallway with her chin. Guate sighed and nodded, yanking the towel off of his face as he closed his laptop and stood, stretching and walking down the hall, teeming with curiosity. His brows furrowed as he walked by his room, gently tossing the laptop onto the mattress and walking over to his drawer, sorting through it mindlessly for some warm clothes.

_So America wasn't lying after all. I thought he was making crap up. Guess not.. This'll do._

He pulled out a pair of gray sweats and a black shirt, sighing as he shuffled down the hall barefoot, his already wet feet making soft slapping sounds on the wooden floor. Guate shivered lightly and closed the bathroom door behind him puffing his damp bangs out of his face and turning on the hot water, sighing as the steam hit him.

~~~***~~~  
The hot water felt nice on his goose bump covered, chilly skin, but he still felt clammy as he exited the bathroom, huddling in his oversized T-shirt with a tired sigh. Guatemala plodded to his bedroom drearily, ruffling his black locks with his damp towel one last time before haphazardly tossing it onto his bed and plopping down at his desk, pulling the laptop along with him. He sighed and drummed his fingers on the slim MacBook Pro, staring down at it briefly, and then letting his eyes drift to his fax machine, which was no doubt waiting to be relieved of several boring papers.. Guatemala sighed, turning away from his duties for the night. It was late, it was raining, traffic had sucked, he was cold, and to top it all off, he could feel a headache sneaking up on him, waiting to pounce at the back of his skull. Paperwork could definitely wait.

It was time to really delve into this SlenderMan business. With a flourish, Guate opened up his laptop and squinted, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly before typing up some more key words into the search engine. It was hard, finding stuff that could be somewhat believable amongst the fan-made rubbish that came up, but he insisted, narrowing the search and reading every tidbit of information he could possibly...Find...

_'101 Amazing Slenderman Facts'_

Okay, this looked somewhat promising. He moved the cursor, and clicked, but instantly regretted it- these were quotes, not the actual facts...Oh well. Might as well read them anyway- they would give him insight on what it was he was really dealing with..Right? Eh. Guate yawned into his fist and looked at the clock. It was only five- why was he tired? Scoffing lightly, he shook his head and blew his bangs out of his face, rubbing at his nose and eyeing the first quote.

_"Slenderman is looking at you."  
-Jack Goldstein, 101 Amazing Slenderman Facts___

His brows furrowed, and he scrolled down, interest peaked with every single following quote.

_"When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he'll hide, or watery hole / And he will eat your mortal soul / so if thou seest the man so thin / pray you don't see him again / for he is not from world we know / he cometh from far down below / on his bed of dirt from grave / from his dank and silent cave / he watches you yet has no sight / he taketh you away at night."  
- Jack Goldstein, 101 Amazing Slenderman Facts __  
_

_"When you reach round a dark corner to switch on a light, be careful. Slenderman will often run his finger over the back of your hand. This is the first signal of his interest in you."  
-Jack Goldstein, 101 Amazing Slenderman Facts_  
_  
__"Slenderman can invoke memory loss in all but the most resolute - you could have already had a Slenderman encounter and not remember it."  
-Jack Goldstein, 101 Amazing Slenderman Facts___

_ "When Slenderman screams, the world will end."  
-Jack Goldstein, 101 Amazing Slenderman Facts__  
_  
_ Alright. I think I would recall pissing myself out of fear, and I don't think a guy without a mouth can scream. Moving on._Guatemala kept the tab open and moved onto a new one, reading about notes, and the ever present 'Eight Pages' theme that kept coming up.

Time evaded him as he absorbed more and more information like a hungry cell waiting to be filled. Slenderman was tall, thin, able to hide in the trees, favored forests, small children, and teens. He hollowed people out, impaled them on branches, liked to slowly stalk them and drive them insane, covered his tracks by using Proxies. Proxies were people who had gone mad, and did Slenderman's will, which involved murdering other people in forms akin to his, leaving notes, dragging people to the woods after knocking them unconscious so the Master could finish them off. Slenderman had tentacles, he could stretch his limbs, he could become selectively visible and tangible, he messed up technology, he 'Slender-walked'- which was just a fancy name for freaking teleported... Though it was dark and cryptic, he couldn't help but read more, too enthralled to distinguish true fact from fan made madness, the monitor filling his throbbing brain with dark images and bloody scenarios..It was addicting.

Guatemala's eyes grew slightly red tinged and hazy, his form stiff and tense as he leaned in, practically hunched over his computer, clicking and typing rapidly, having at least twenty tabs opened, and-

_Bzzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzzt. _He'd never heard a more terrifying noise in his life. Not expecting the sudden interruption, he jumped in surprise, breath catching in his throat and making him choke on air. He coughed hoarsely into his elbow and thumped his chest with a fist, sighing shakily and shaking his head from side to side, sniffing as he reached for his phone. Who could that be? He blinked to re-focus his vision, staring at the message on his screen.

_**Strik: **__Guate! You there? Maus won't answer her phone. You guys get home okay?  
_  
The Hispanic sighed and closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, integrating himself back into reality, pulling his mind and subconscious from the hazy black and white images of faceless beings and tainted tales. His temples throbbed as he inhaled sharply, picking up smells wafting from the kitchen. Dinner at this hour? Five was kinda early, no? He looked at the clock and went rigid, tightening his grip on his cell phone, eyes widening. It was seven thirty. Had he really been reading articles, skimming through web pages, and glazing over Creepy Pastas for two and a half hours? He sat up and winced at the crick that had formed in his back and neck, clearing his throat and blearily looking around his room with a shiver. It had gotten considerably darker now that the sun had officially set- and the rain had calmed to a dim pitter patter, gently tapping the windows. He sighed again and tiredly texted back.

**_Me:_**_Probably cooking dinner with Sk. Yeah, we're good- traffic sucked, good you didn't go.  
_  
He tossed his phone back onto the desk and closed his laptop firmly, jaw clenched. It was still a shock that he'd spent so much time on the Internet. Guate wasn't one for technology- he used his phone to call and text, and he didn't give a crap about data usage, or the fact that he could surf the web while riding the train, or any of that. He used his laptop strictly to download music, and occasionally write business papers, send a few emails. That was in total, what..? Five to ten minutes of net usage a day? Every two days? But two and a half hours... That beat SK when he was drooling over Korean drama.

"Well, damn," he mumbled to himself, rolling his shoulders back with a shudder. His room was cold, and he couldn't blink the sleepy haze from his eyes. And that headache that had been waiting to pounce before his little quest? Yeah, it was raging havoc in his cranium. He winced and grumbled as he lifted himself from his chair and flopped backwards onto his bed, shoving his face in a cool pillow. It soothed his splitting skull, but made him shiver, and he didn't hesitate in pulling a spare blanket over himself, making a cocoon of warmth. He didn't feel like doing much of anything now, and he sighed in frustration once he heard his name being called a few rooms away.

"Guate! Mauseu says dinner is ready! Hurry up or I'll take your portion!"

"...Tired..." was all he managed to choke out before melting against his mattress and letting sleep take him.

~~~****~~~~  
_ Holy crap, it was cold. He blinked and inhaled sharply, the motion making his chest sting with icy air as he looked down at the frost crunching underneath his bare feet. Guatemala shivered violently, teeth chattering as he wrapped his arms around himself and squinted. Why was he in the back yard? The Hispanic turned to look at the house and backpedaled. The abode seemed warped and distorted, stretched into some kind of Picasso rendition that loomed over him threateningly. He swallowed hard and turned, letting out a yelp.  
_  
_South Korea was staring at him, his creamy complexion pale and somber, eyes narrowed seriously, their golden depths piercing his very soul. He didn't appear to be affected by the gelid temperature, clad in his sleeping shorts and tank top. The Asian inhaled steadily, keeping Guate frozen with his steely frown, and screamed.  
_  
_"GUATE!" he bellowed. "MAUSEU SAYS IT'S TIME FOR DINNER!" Guatemala stared as SK began walking backwards, staring at him urgently and waving his hand._

"IT'S TIME FOR DINNER! DINNER!" he screamed, turning around and streaking towards the wintery forest that had appeared from the frigid mist. Guatemala gasped and turned around, debating whether to stay here or go back home- but the house had been replaced by pine trees and thick, snowy shrubs. He inched away and frantically turned back to the Korean's retreating figure.

"WAIT!" he screamed, feeling knives dig into his vocal cords as he tried to pierce the icy air with his voice. The Hispanic cried out and began to sprint, feeling tiny particles of ice stick to his feet, making his soles sting and go red with each cold impact. He could see his breath every time he gasped for air, chest constricting with each ragged inhale until he felt like he couldn't run anymore. Guate looked behind him, seeing nothing but snow, and the red trail that his feet were leaving. "I want to stop!"

He let out a shuddering yelp as he was thrust forwards into icy branches, snow drifts, stuck running after the sprinting Korean, who never once looked back. He was sweating buckets now, icy hot beads coursing down his flesh, making his shirt damp. "I WANT TO STOP!"

Whispers began to weave in and out of his ears, soft laughter, inaudible titters and screams that teased him cruelly as he sprinted onwards, yelping as branches scratched his skin and left crimson marks. His rosary wasn't bouncing on his neck, Maus was nowhere to be seen, and the last time he'd checked, it had been early spring...

His vision began to fade and glaze over as the whispers grew, making his head spin. The world titled to the side, and he clawed at the ground desperately, nails scraping against the icy ground, the rasping in his chest growing louder, and louder as his eyelids fluttered. Arms wound around him, but he couldn't see anymore, couldn't feel them- he was numb, and burning alive as they constricted his trembling frame, harder, harder, his throat closing up- and all the while he could hear Korea screaming in the distance, his voice distorted with hisses and shrills.

"Slenderman is watching you."

"GUATEMALA!"

He jerked awake, wheezing, flailing at the damp sheets that ensnared him, yelping and gasping for air.

"NO, LET ME-"

"Guate! It's me, relax..."

The Hispanic looked up, sweat drenched hair hanging in his pallid face. For a brief moment, the familiarity of the voice soothed him, and he simply clenched at the sheets, trembling...before filling his lungs with a panicked scream. A faceless entity stared back at him, leaping to its feet and looming over him, clutching at his shoulders with hooked hands, smelling of...Noodles...? Guate's breath hitched roughly as he blinked his fevered eyes and quivered, going still at the grip. South Korea stared back worriedly, honey eyes wide as he shook him gently.

"Guate, da-ze! You were having another fever dream..." he mumbled slowly, letting him go and rubbing one of his shoulders gently, pushing him back down onto the mattress. The Guatemalan stared back dazedly and blinked, slowly staring at him intently. He was dressed in his tank top and shorts, but there was no ice clinging to his feet, and he didn't look like he was going to start screaming any second. Guate slowly turned away briefly, turning to look down at himself. He, too, was clad in sleepwear, but he didn't remember changing, and he could just feel the perspiration clinging to his body, making hot chills race down his limbs. The room seemed to spin, and he opted that if he had to move any more, he would hurl. Guatemala laid back down and swallowed, staring at his ceiling.

"...How long was I out..what happened?" he asked, melting from one question to the next and cringing as a damp cloth was placed on his forehead. SK put a finger to his own lips and shook his head, fixing the covers and quietly sitting on the edge of his bed, running his hands through his hair. He looked tired, and a brief glance at the window showed weak morning light filtering through.

"A day? Less? I don't know. Da-ze," he mumbled in response, shaking his head. "But I guess you were out in the rain for too long. You caught a nasty fever. Lucky it broke- Mausy has been worrying her little eyes out. Here, I'll go wake her up and maybe get some breakfast hm?"

The Asian briefly felt his forehead with a smooth creamy palm and sighed at the warmth, pushing Guate's bangs out of his face lightly before clucking his tongue and walking off quietly, sock-clad feet making soft padding sounds that echoed in the quiet abode. Guatemala only sighed in relief and stared at his ceiling some more, letting his eyes haze out of focus slowly. He didn't notice the tentacles crawling at the edge of his vision until it was too late-...

Guate jerked up and gasped, clenching his hands into fists and panting as he stared at the dew-covered window and the shadows of the tree branches that were beginning to quietly make their presence known with morning sunshine. He moaned and flopped back down, burying his face in his pillow as he heard soft exclamations nearing his room.

It was going to be a long day. 


	3. Chapter 3: Abberant

South Korea padded down the hall, rubbing at his eyes and stretching, forcing himself to go as fast as he could without running. Knowing Maus, she would probably think Guatemala died in the middle of the night or something and panic. Though he was an early riser, he hadn't slept as well as he had hoped, having to deal with his Hispanic friend tossing and turning, and whimpering in the middle of the night. Maus had been stubborn about being the one to watch over Guatemala, but the Korean had insisted that he didn't need two people falling ill, and so she'd been sent to bed.

The Asian grumbled softly and knocked on her door, gently opening it and peeking in. "Mauseu?" he whispered, using her nickname quietly. Maybe she wasn't awake either- it was kind of early, and they both had gone to sleep late the other night. Perhaps having a fever wasn't the most impacting thing that had happened between the trio of friends, but in their years of living together, they had become a little family, and despite the clashes that burst between them from time to time, they cared for one another very deeply.

"Mauseu?" he asked again, opening the door all the way and walking inside, looking around. The curtains were half open, the bed in disarray, and the room was empty. Korea blinked in confusion, and turned, planning on heading to the living room when something grabbed his shoulder. His hazy and half formed morning thoughts shattered, and he gave a small jump and gasp, whirling around quickly to look at a pair of wide brown eyes.

"SK," Maus whispered quietly, holding a glass of orange juice in her small hands. "What are you doing?"

She bit her lip worriedly and looked around as South Korea closed her door and sighed in relief, smiling wearily down at the shorter female.

"You scared me, da-ze!" he exclaimed softly. "I just wanted to see if you were awake. Guate woke up a little while ago. I was thinking of fixing a nice breakfast. What do you think?"

The Korean walked past her and to the kitchen as she nodded, tapping his chin. "Maybe something soft, like..toast? That sounds okay, hm?"

Maus nodded faintly, sipping her juice and setting it down on the counter. "Alright. I'm gonna go talk to him- you can handle toast," she said jokingly at his soft pout. "I'm sure you're enough of a big boy to make three people toast."

He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed softly, sauntering away and straightening her oversized Illinois university shirt, sliding a bit on her socks as she rounded the corner and titled her head, listening for any noise that might come from Guate's room. Nothing. She sighed and walked the rest of the way, peeking her head first through the doorway. "Guate?"

The Hispanic was staring at the ceiling, eyes narrowed, a tired frown on his face. "...What?" he rasped, eyes flicking towards her small form as she approached him. Maus sat on the edge of the bed and took his bangs out of his face, gently feeling his warm cheek. A sympathetic look molded itself into her expression and she gave a small sigh.

"You doing okay?" she asked quietly. He sighed and gave a shrug, shaking his head slowly. His brown irises were weary, and he gave a small shiver as he curled onto his side.

"I guess," he mumbled. At a loss for words, Maus sighed and gently ran her fingers through his hair in hopes of relaxing him.

"...SK is making toast," she mumbled. "And I'll get you some orange juice instead of water, if you want. Sound good?"

Guatemala was silent for a long time, and he swallowed thickly, feeling his aching throat give a pang of protest as he did so. It felt raw, as if he really had been screaming his lungs out- and that unsettled him greatly. "..Sure," he murmured, feeling Maus' gentle hand stop caressing his locks as she gave a hum of affirmation and stood to leave. He waited until he could hear her footsteps fading, and then sat up quickly, little lights darting to and fro in his dizzy vision as he took a deep breath and felt for his rosary- only to come back empty handed.

Quivering, he looked around frantically, his heart beginning to race again. Had it truly been stolen, like in the nightmare? Then, that would mean... Biting his lip, he threw back the covers and stared at his feet, curling his legs inwards. Soft, smooth, tanned, warm. Flawless, not bleeding. Guate sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair, heaving another tremulous exhale when his eyes caught sight of his beloved trinket sitting on his desk. South Korea must've taken it off or something while he slept.

_Calm down, Guate..It was only a dream..._

* * *

Humming softly to himself, Korea gently smoothed butter over all six pieces of toasted, golden bread, a faint smile on his face. Despite the rough start, the morning wasn't so bad after all. He had gotten almost all of his paper work done, and didn't have anything to do today. Maybe they could do laundry, or tidy up a bit, but otherwise- he was home free.

Well...Almost home free. He couldn't exactly go anywhere, due to certain roads being closed off because of the flooding. That stunk a little bit, admittedly. But at least they didn't have another huge meeting for weeks, and Maus was having less homework, and was actually on break from college- as were almost all of their little human companions. No rush to wait for the roads to clear up, and then they could all hang out and do as they pleased later.

The Asian smiled to himself, cheered by the prospect as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, golden eyes searching for the jam. Or had they run out? Darn.. Behind him, he heard the scraping of glass, and he chuckled, speaking absentmindedly as he continued to rummage through the fridge.

"They're not done yet, Mauseu. Seriously, though, where's the jam, because I swear I- oh. Found it, da-ze.." he mumbled, reaching for the jar and straightening just in time to see Maus' glass of orange juice slide off the counter and topple to the floor. The glass shattered into dozens of pieces, spilling the drink all over the floor, leaving the poor clueless Korean wide eyed and baffled. He placed the jam jar on the counter, making sure it was far from the edge as he raced to get paper towels, hearing footsteps behind him.

Maus walked over to the island in the kitchen and paused, backpedaling at the sight of glass on the floor, eyes widening. "What happened?" she asked, motioning to the mess. "Did you knock it over?"

Korea knelt down and wiped the splatters of juice that were reachable without cutting his hands, shaking his head in confusion. "No, da-ze. I was looking for jam in the fridge, and I didn't touch it. Promise," he said quietly, standing and tossing the damp paper towels into the trash, using another wad to gingerly wipe up the shards, and throw those away as well. He stood once he was done, brows furrowed, biting his lip gently for a fleeting moment. "..I thought you were behind me..da-ze.."

The small female shook her head, sitting up on one of the stools and leaning on the counter, staring ruefully at the spot where her glass of orange juice had been. "No, I just got here," she clarified, snatching a piece of toast and nibbling on it. " 'M was talkin' t' Guate. He seems okay, I guess-...Korea?"

Sk frowned and opened the jam jar slowly, absentmindedly spinning the butter knife around the sweet mixture. If Maus hadn't been behind him, then why had the glass fallen? It was far enough away from the counter, wasn't it? And why had he heard it moving?

"Earth to South Korea, hello?"

Maybe he had just moved it by accident with his elbow while setting up the plates, and then it had slid over the edge.. Yeah, that was probable. He blinked at Maus and chuckled softly, shrugging.

"Da-ze, sorry. I was thinking."

Even so..he couldn't get the image of the glass sliding across the counter on its own out of his mind.

But...surely it was jet his imagination. His tired mind was playing tricks on him.

* * *

_**Axle:**__I'm coming over. You should have told me you were sick sooner.  
__  
__**Me: **__Well exCUSE me for not wanting to worry you. I just woke up, so shut it. I'm not in the mood- and the roads are bad. Don't you have another meeting or something? Because Russia wasn't able to make it or some crap?  
__  
__**Axle: **__You sound like you are not wanting me to do the coming over. Da, I have meeting, but I can visit you before to make sure you are alright, no? And how could I could worry? You're too stupid for me not to do the worrying.___

_**Me:**__Gee, thanks. Well, fine- what time are you coming over?___

_**Axle:**__In hour, maybe? ___

_**Me**__: __Mkay. 3 cul8r___

Guatemala sighed and curled up underneath the covers, eyeing the leftovers of toast he'd left untouched on his plate. He didn't want to eat- his stomach felt like it was shriveling up on itself. The uneasy feeling at the back of his mind had yet to leave him alone, and he was getting antsier by the second. The Hispanic sighed and turned onto his back instead, staring at the shadows that swirled around and taunted him on the ceiling. He bit his lip out of habit and let his mind wander, brown irises taking on a brooding and melancholy look. He didn't hear the footsteps padding towards his room, and was caught by surprise when he heard his name was being called.

"Guate?"

He jumped, and turned, raising an eyebrow questioningly. SK stood at the door, now dressed in day clothes, hair looking combed, his honey eyes inquisitive. "..You okay, da-ze?"

Guatemala pursed his lips. Even though the Asian was annoying as all get out and sometimes as immature as they came, he still cared. Right now, he was grateful for that. Guate nodded and sat up, putting his phone on the nightstand and running a hand through his sweaty hair.

"Yeah..Axle says he's coming over in an hour or something," he mumbled, giving a helpless shrug. He didn't mind the fact that his boyfriend was coming over- but it would be awkward, having Axle doting on him while Maus and South Korea were there. The Korean seemed to sense his trepidation, and he hummed in thought, nodding slowly as he tapped his chin.

"Wellllllll," he said, drawing out the word. "We could leave for a little bit, if he's going to be here, if you want...? There's not many places we could go, but..We could take a drive around and give you guys some...alone time."

Korea raised an eyebrow and wiggled it suggestively, stifling a snicker at the unamused expression on the Guatemalan's face.

"How considerate of you," Guate drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes and laying back down. "...That sounds nice.."

SK nodded and gave him a flashy thumbs up. "No worries! I'll get Mauseu and we'll get going soon enough."

Guate nodded, and he sighed again once the Asian left, letting his eyes wander and then choking on a strangled gasp as the curtains billowed, swollen in a rustling crescendo as a harsh breeze blew into the room. He shuddered and clutched at the sheets, swallowing thickly.

Last time he'd checked, the window had been shut.

* * *

Soon enough came soon enough. Guatemala waved blearily from the window, shivering at the ghosts of cold air that washed over his skin as he watched Maus and SK wave from below, then pile into the car, already chattering on about one thing or another...

Maus sighed and paused her rambling, looking at the South Korean as he pulled away from the house, staring down the damp road. "..Do you think he'll be okay?" she asked, shifting so she could peer over the dashboard. SK chuckled and smiled at her briefly before turning his eyes back on the road.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Mauseu- he'll have Axle coddling him in a few minutes. Then he'll be more than fine...after they stop going at each other's throats. I swear, those two..." he laughed, shaking his head as Maus stifled a snicker and pulled out her phone, crossing her legs. Guate and Axle were very temperamental, that was for sure.

She scrolled through her contacts, wondering who to text as she replied absentmindedly. "Yep, nothing like a good old choke slam to cure the common cold.."

The small girl trailed off once she stopped on a particular contact, lips pursing. Liza- was se doing anything right now? Most likely, seeing as she had to take care of six people and stop them form killing each other, but.. It didn't hurt to send a message, just to see if she was okay.

"SK, where are we even going?" she asked offhandedly, blowing a stray cowlick from her forehead.

_**Me: **__Yooo wassup schatz? Whatcha doin? I'm just hangin w/SK in the car_.  
  
She put her phone in her lap and glanced back up at the Korean, eyeing his pensive expression as he shrugged. "I don't know, da-ze..We could just drive around and have a look, see what the roads are like..Man, I could've checked the fridge to see if we needed anything. We could've gone grocery shopping."

"How fun," Maus drawled sarcastically, rolling her eyes and smirking as her phone vibrated with a response from her friend. South Korea scoffed as she checked the message.

**_Liza_**: _Skaaaaaat! :D hæ~! I'm just getting some hot chocolate with Icey! The roads are a bit iffy, but we ran out, and we wanted to get some of our own before a certain Fin drinks it all up XD Everyone's a little stir crazy. ...Wait, are you guys seriously just sitting in the car, or..___

_**Maus**__: TOTALLY. Having the time of my life right now. :P oh yeah, man, Nothing better could happen to me at this moment. ...FFFF XD No, silly. We're just driving around. Axle coming over and we decided to give the lovebirds some alone time. Hot chocolate, tho. Sounds fun. _

"Who ya texting?" Sk asked curiously, rounding a corner and letting his honey eyes wander as he took in some broken tree branches and large puddles. Maus blinked up at him briefly.

"Liza- she's just getting some hot cocoa with the Ice man," she reported. South Korea hummed in thought and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"That sounds fun, da-ze. We should go do that," he declared. "Better than driving in circles, and we could bring some back for Guate. Wouldn't that be nice?" The girl beside him shrugged in response, fingers tapping away.

"Yeah, I'm up for anything," she mumbled, leaning back in her seat and then sitting right back up, eyes widening in anticipation. "Hey, SK. You know the dunkin donuts at that one place? The one with the bank, and the-"

"Oh, yeah, I know what you're talking about," he claimed, glancing at her for a moment. "Why?"

"That's where they're at! She just told me- it's really close. Pleeeaaaassseeeeee..." Maus begged, raising her eyebrows and clasping her hands imploringly. The Korean huffed at her, and then burst out laughing.

"You really think I'm going to say no when we literally have nothing else to do?" he teased, turning at a vacant intersection and shaking his head. "Sure, as long as the roads on the way there and back are fine- but you're right. It's close, so why no-"

He yelped and cut off once a streak of black flew across the road, barely missing the car by a few inches as it disappeared into the barrage of trees beside the road. Even so, his foot slammed down on the breaks, and the car screeched to a stop. Maus let out a choked scream and clung to her seat, phone clattering to the floor as she gasped and looked around, wide eyed, her heart pounding as their vehicle rocked.

"What?! What is it?!" she yelled frantically, caught off guard by the Korean's pale, blank expression. "Korea?!"

The Asian swallowed thickly, knuckles white as he clutched the steering wheel and stared at the road, eyes flicking to and fro, and seeing nothing. The road was empty, but it hadn't been a split second ago. Didn't Maus see the thing? Of course not, she had been on her phone, oh man... He bit his lip and blinked himself out of his daze once he realized the deafening silence that had taken over the car, and looked to his right. Maus was staring with wide, fearful eyes, lips pursed tightly. The Korean nation felt a stab of pity hit his chest, and he forced a nervous laugh.

"Hah...sorry, I thought...I thought I saw something," he finished weakly, running a hand through his hair. Maus let out a shaky sigh an pinched the bridge of her nose, slamming her fist into his shoulder.

"Ow! I said sorry-"

"Oh mein gott, I almost had a heart attack, be quiet..And be more careful! Or I'm not going to defend you the next time Guate teases you about how you don't know how to drive."

"HEY!"


End file.
